House File 601 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  GRANZOW and SODERBERG


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to a regulatory information and coordination
  2    service administered by the department of economic
  3    development.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 2805HH 81
  6 tm/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 15.108, subsection 7, paragraph b, Code
  1  2 2005, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    b.  Establish and administer the regulatory information and
  1  4 coordination service provided for in section 15E.17.
  1  5    Sec. 2.  Section 15E.17, Code 2005, is amended to read as
  1  6 follows:
  1  7    15E.17  REGULATORY INFORMATION AND COORDINATION SERVICE.
  1  8    1.  The Iowa department of economic development shall
  1  9 provide a regulatory information and coordination service.
  1 10 The purpose of the service shall be to provide a center of
  1 11 information where a person interested in establishing a
  1 12 commercial facility or engaging in a commercial activity may
  1 13 be informed of any registration, license, or other approval of
  1 14 a state regulatory agency that is required for that facility
  1 15 or activity or of the existence of standards, criteria, or
  1 16 requirements which the laws of this state require that
  1 17 facility or activity to meet.  The service shall assist a
  1 18 person interested in establishing a commercial facility or
  1 19 engaging in a commercial activity in completing the
  1 20 application procedures for any necessary registration,
  1 21 license, or other approval and shall provide prompt assistance
  1 22 in coordinating communications between a person interested in
  1 23 establishing a commercial facility or engaging in a commercial
  1 24 activity and a state regulatory agency.
  1 25    2.  Each state regulatory agency which requires a permit,
  1 26 license, or other regulatory approval or maintains standards
  1 27 or criteria with which an activity or facility must comply
  1 28 shall inform the Iowa department of economic development of
  1 29 the following:
  1 30    a.  The activity or facility that is subject to regulation.
  1 31    b.  The existence of any threshold levels which would
  1 32 exempt the activity or facility from regulation.
  1 33    c.  The nature of the regulatory program.
  1 34    d.  The amount of any fees.
  1 35    e.  How to apply for any permits or regulatory approvals.
  2  1    f.  A brief statement of the purpose of requiring the
  2  2 permit or regulatory approval or requiring compliance with the
  2  3 standards or criteria.
  2  4    g.  Names and contact information of designated staff
  2  5 within the state regulatory agency responsible for assisting
  2  6 persons in the registration, licensing, or other regulatory
  2  7 approval process.
  2  8    3.  Each state regulatory agency shall promptly inform the
  2  9 Iowa department of economic development of any changes in the
  2 10 information provided under subsection 2 or the establishment
  2 11 of a new regulatory program. The information provided to or
  2 12 disseminated by the department shall not be binding upon the
  2 13 regulatory program of a state regulatory agency; however, a
  2 14 person shall not be subject to the imposition of a penalty for
  2 15 failure to comply with a regulatory program if the person
  2 16 demonstrates that the person relied upon information provided
  2 17 by the department indicating compliance was not required and
  2 18 either ceases the activity upon notification by the regulatory
  2 19 agency or brings the activity or facility into compliance.
  2 20    4.  Subsections 2 and 3 do not apply to the following:
  2 21    a.  The utilities division of the department of commerce
  2 22 insofar as the information relates to public utilities.
  2 23    b.  The banking division of the department of commerce.
  2 24    c.  The savings and loan division of the department of
  2 25 commerce.
  2 26    d.  The credit union division of the department of
  2 27 commerce.
  2 28    5.  A state regulatory agency shall respond to any request
  2 29 for assistance from the Iowa department of economic
  2 30 development in relation to the activities provided by the
  2 31 service under this section in less than thirty days from the
  2 32 time the state regulatory agency receives the request.
  2 33                           EXPLANATION
  2 34    This bill relates to a regulatory information and
  2 35 coordination service administered by the department of
  3  1 economic development.
  3  2    Currently, the department of economic development provides
  3  3 a regulatory information service designed to provide a center
  3  4 of information where a person interested in establishing a
  3  5 commercial facility or engaging in a commercial activity may
  3  6 be informed of any registration, license, or other approval of
  3  7 a state regulatory agency that is required for that facility
  3  8 or activity or of the existence of standards, criteria, or
  3  9 requirements which the laws of this state require that
  3 10 facility or activity to meet.
  3 11    The bill requires the service to assist a person interested
  3 12 in establishing a commercial facility or engaging in a
  3 13 commercial activity in completing the application procedures
  3 14 for any necessary registration, license, or other approval and
  3 15 to provide prompt assistance in coordinating communications
  3 16 between a person interested in establishing a commercial
  3 17 facility or engaging in a commercial activity and a state
  3 18 regulatory agency.
  3 19    Currently under the service, a state regulatory agency is
  3 20 required to submit to the department of economic development
  3 21 certain information related to regulatory activity.  The bill
  3 22 requires a state regulatory agency to submit names and contact
  3 23 information of designated staff within the state regulatory
  3 24 agency responsible for assisting persons in the registration,
  3 25 licensing, or other regulatory approval process.
  3 26    The bill requires a state regulatory agency to respond to
  3 27 any request for assistance from the Iowa department of
  3 28 economic development in relation to the activities provided by
  3 29 the service in less than 30 days from the time the state
  3 30 regulatory agency receives the request.
  3 31 LSB 2805HH 81
  3 32 tm:nh/gg/14